Israeli naval forces opened fire, on Monday, towards Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the northern besieged Gaza Strip.
A Ma’an reporter said that Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinians fishing boats within the permitted fishing zone, forcing the fishermen to head back to shore in fear for their lives.
No injuries were reported.
#Israeli_forces implement a siege on #Gaza preventing fishermen from catching any fish. They only allow fishing within a 3-6 mile distance from the shore knowing that at that distance and depth, there is hardly any fish to catch.#PalDigiplomacy #PMOFA pic.twitter.com/ELMDC1U9aZ
— Palestinian Public Diplomacy (@MofaPPD) March 4, 2019
According to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israel’s blockade of the coastal enclave has seriously undermined the ability for Gazan fishermen to make a living at sea.
The Israeli army regularly detains and opens fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen, shepherds, and farmers along the border areas if they approach the unilaterally declared buffer zone.
Israeli navy opens heavy fire at Palestinian fishermen in Gaza https://t.co/gT3Dae8zzJ
— ABNA (@ABNewsAgency) March 4, 2019
Israeli human rights group B’Tselem recently concluded that Israel’s Gaza closure and “harassment of fishermen” have been “destroying Gaza’s fishing sector,” with 95% of fishermen living below the poverty line.
Local rights organization, Al-Haq, has documented many cases of Israeli aggression toward Palestinian fishermen off the Gazan coast, calling Israel’s action against the fishermen “collective punishment” that imposes “difficult economic and social conditions.”
(Ma’an, PC, Social Media)
